Method of controlling feed in a spindleless veneer lathe and apparatus to which the method is applied

A method of controlling a clearance angle of a veneer knife in a veneer lathe under a spindleless condition, the veneer lathe being used for peeling veneers from a log comprising a veneer knife for peeling veneers, not less than three rollers, feed mechanisms coupled to not less than two of the rollers for feeding thereof, and not less than one drive system coupled to not less than one of the rollers for rotatably feeding thereof, wherein the roller to which one of the drive systems is coupled supplies all the driving force required for rotating the log while each roller to which one of the feed mechanisms is coupled is fed to peel the log with the veneer knife while the log is held by all the rollers, the method comprising the steps of:

• setting a shifting amount in a correcting unit of the lathe based on a reduction in the diameter of the log from a predetermined first diameter to a predetermined second diameter;
• and
• automatically shifting the rotational axis of the log during veneer peeling in the direction perpendicular to the plane extending between the rotational axis of the log and the cutting edge of the veneer knife by the shifting amount, thereby controlling the clearance angle of the veneer knife during the veneer peeling.